The 5th national pilgrimage organized by the Commission for the Holy Land in Krakow in Poland took place from 4 to 10 November 2004. Some 300 pilgrims from various parts of Poland arrived in the Holy Land: they had responded to the invitation of Father Nikodem Gdyk and Father Paschalis Kwoczala, Commissioner and Vice-Commissioner of the Holy Land, to visit the Holy Places and pray together for peace in the Middle East. The pilgrims were divided into 6 groups, each of which, under the guidance of a Franciscan or priest, visited the most important sanctuaries, beginning from Nazareth. The programme also included meetings with local Christian communities. The pilgrimage was led by Bishop Anton Dydycz. The concluding liturgy was held in St. Saviour’s, the parish church of Jerusalem, where the pilgrims prayed for peace. In his homily the bishop explained the significance of peace, paraphrasing Psalm 122: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem…” and recalled the importance of the commitment “of each faithful to be a peacemaker”. The pilgrims were accompanied in their reflection by Father Ibrahim Faltas, parish priest of Jerusalem, who described the situation of Christians, especially in Bethlehem and Jerusalem, and by Father Jerzy Kraj, Discretus of the Holy Land and Guardian of St. Saviour’s, who traced the history of the Franciscan presence in the Middle East through the centuries and the various activities performed by the Custodianship of the Holy Land. At the end of his address, on behalf of the Custodian, he honoured Monsignor Dydycz with the pilgrim’s gold cross. The celebration ended with the recitation in Polish and in Arabic of the Franciscan prayer “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace”.
